Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte

So, this past weekend I decided to finally give into my cravings, and I headed on over to Starbucks for a pumpkin spice latte. I ordered a short latte with soy milk and was shocked by the $5 price tag. Well, I was so bitter the entire time I was drinking it that I didn’t enjoy it one bit. How’s that for annoying. As soon as I was done, I vowed never again, and knew this was soon to be made in my kitchen for just pennies, and taste a whole lot better.

Now I know there are tons of great recipes all over the blogosphere for DIY pumpkin lattes, but I wanted mine to be a little different. While most are made with white sugar in order to make the simple syrup, I wanted to use agave because it has a lower glycemic index than white sugar. I also wanted to pump up the pumpkin flavour, because I’m sure you’ve noticed, I LOVE pumpkin. And I must say, like most things, it tastes even better when it’s homemade, and best of all you can save a whole lot of money. And that’s good enough for me!

In a small saucepan, combine the agave, water, pumpkin puree, and spices, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and heat the syrup for about 5 additional minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and allow to sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes.

Line a jar with cheesecloth, and pour the syrup through. You will probably end up with some pumpkin that doesn't go through the cloth, and that's okay. Just give it a little squeeze to get out the rest of the syrup and then discard.

Store the syrup in the fridge up to 1 month.

For the Latte

To a cup or mug, add in 2 tablespoons pumpkin syrup (or adjust to taste), about 1 1/2 ounces espresso or very, very strong coffee, and about 1/3 cup heated or steamed milk. Top with whipped cream (a must) and a dusting of cinnamon.

Notes

For this latte I used espresso, but if you don't have a machine feel free to use very strong coffee. If using coffee, I would probably increase the amount.
Adjust the amount of syrup used in your latte to your taste. (2 tablespoons worked for me)

Just finished making the pumpkin syrup and it is amazing.. the girls at work will be thankful

Abby

Thanks for this recipe! In the process of making it and I wanted to share that you don’t have to pitch the leftover pumpkin….you just made Pumpkin Butter! Save it and use it on buttered toast in the morning:)

Hi, I also found you on foodgawker. This is a great idea. I just made some, and my home now smells delicious! I’ve been making pumpkin spice stuff lately, (as has everyone) but I made it cup by cup, your way is way more efficient. I changed the recipe, though I used you as inspiration. I used half brown sugar, and half stevia, I added a splash of vanilla extract, and some allspice because its my favorite. I was making myself a cup of green tea and milk when I came across this recipe, so I added some of the finished syrup in there, and its good that way too.

WOW, this picture is gorgeous! Found you through Foodgawker – definitely going to try this recipe. I’m wondering though if honey or maple syrup might substitute for agave? I’ve read so many conflicting things about how healthy it really is that I just try to stay away from that and white sugar all together! However I might have to give it a shot for this. YUM.

Thanks! While I didn’t try it with honey or maple syrup, I think it would work also. Give it a try and let me know! I agree about the sugar, everything in moderation 🙂 Thanks for stopping by 🙂

Lisa

Just yesterday I made the recipe that’s been floating around the web with simple syrup, only I used half brown sugar and half molasses in place of the white sugar. It was delicious, a lot like a pumpkin gingerbread latte. Next time, I think I’ll do half honey, and half maple syrup or molasses to add that extra depth of flavor, without the processed sugar.

I’m with you on the homemade Pumpkin Spice Lattes (or really any lattes). They definitely can beat our favorite coffee shops, in taste and price! This version looks delicious, and the photo is so gorgeous!

Homemade is definitely the way to go! And I get the same way – I can’t enjoy some foods when I know that I overpaid for it and I can make it so much better at him!

Anyway, this looks amazing, and awesome call on the agave. Thank you for saving me the trip to Starbucks and the $5, of course 🙂

Meet Jessica

Hi and welcome to Portuguese Girl Cooks. I'm Jessica, avid baker, and picture taker. Wife, and Mom living in Canada. Here you will find a mix of sweet and savoury recipes from scratch sure to get you drooling. Enjoy! More about Me….

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